Party Girl

Mia is our resident party planner. If I was up for it, I am sure we would have parties on a daily basis. I have high hopes that our home will be the place kids want to be so I know who my kids are associating with and I have a little control over what my kids do for fun. I realize that I need to do a little more work on creating a fun environment that screams kids come play. But, until that time, I will just throw party after party in hopes to establish the idea of the fun starting at home.

We had high hopes of throwing a Cinco de Mayo party. Unfortunately, Fernando is on a rotation that has longer hours than normal (5 am-7/8pm) which isn't conducive to happy party throwing. Mia was more than sad and I kind of was as well. We haven't had a party since Easter as seen below:


Here is the game that Mia came up with. The kids had to toss a plastic Easter egg into one of the circles. Than hopscotch their way to that said egg, do the "chicken dance" and pick up the egg using only their teeth. Meanwhile, Mia played a song from one of our Easter toys and waited to snatch up the egg before the kids could get it.

Mia imagining her next fun event!

My Red Back

Although this post could have something to do with sunburns since temperatures have been crazy hot, it's not. Our ward has exploded with emergencies one right after another. At first it seemed limited to those families whose husbands were currently deployed (why not). Then the bad luck spread like a malignant growth trying leech onto unsuspecting families left and right. To give you an idea: ruptured appedix, broken arms, pregnant ladies in head on collisions, surgeries, miscarriages. . . those are just the ones I am aware of from the past few weeks.

I have tried to be apart of the get better effort and have been willing to assist when able. I had almost given myself a RED BACK from all the proverbial good job pats I had been giving myself when I learned a valuable lesson in the form of a hug.

I was talking to one friend whose daughter just became a casualty to the bad luck plague when another friend dropped off her daughter so she could go to the hospital (both friends have husbands in Iraq or some part of that mess). The first friend (broken arm daughter) just found out about the other friend's problem and embraced her.

I realized in all the dinners, babysitting, house cleaning, listening to stories etc. I had missed the biggest help a human could have: the ability to truly morn with those who morn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort.

Even though living in this ward has greatly improved my odds for getting struck lightening (at least it seems that way) I am grateful for all the examples of service and love and compassion I have seen. I have learned from those around me how to be better at being the hands of the Savior and reaching out in the way He would if He was here.